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The
building of Ian Ayton’s Long-EZ personal aircraft was accomplished
over a period of 4 years and has been described as one of the most
innovative yet built. It has many features that that have been copied by
other builders and has won awards for quality of construction,
innovation and performance. This aircraft is used as transportation to
clients and in most cases will permit access to any airport in the
western third of the US in less time than a commercial flight. Most of
this aircraft was fabricated from scratch affording an excellent
opportunity to learn about many processes including composite design and
construction. Joining all flights taken in this craft end to end would
circumnavigate Earth over 12 times.
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This
1956 Jaguar XK 140 MC was purchased as a partially dismantled
wreck in 1971. During the restoration period of 6 years every
component of the vehicle was completely refurbished to as new
condition. With the exception of some of the upholstery and all
the plating all of the work was done by Ian. There are no
deviations from the original specification on this machine because
it was felt that any alterations would detract from its intrinsic
value. From a potential Ayton & Company client’s point of
view it demonstrates determination and attention to detail,
valuable traits desirable in any employee. This vehicle is in
frequent use today and is a common sight on the roads of Santa
Barbara County, California.
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This
1957 Triumph Tiger 110 motorcycle was gradually restored over a
period of 4 years and represented an attempt by Ian to return to
the days of his youth. Virtually identical to the machine he
rode in his late teens this motorcycle looked gorgeous but
unfortunately did not live up to its promise in other respects.
Handling and brakes were dangerous by comparison with his new
BMW so it was sold in the interests of preserving life. |
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| The
steel arch shown here was designed and built by Ian as part of
his daughters wedding ceremony in the Ayton’s garden in
September 1998. All the steel was bent and welded in the Ayton
& Company workshop. |
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The
hammock shown here is a feature of the Ayton’s back yard. It
was designed and built by Ian and conceived as a device for
viewing the night skies of the Santa Ynez valley. A unique
feature of this design is that the stand is supported in the
ground in a tubular post that permits rotation allowing views in
any desired direction. This device is known locally as the ”Time
Machine” because it resembles the contraption in the H. G.
Wells inspired movie of the same name and has been responsible
for wasting many hours. |
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| The
Jaguar Mark 2 is considered by many, mostly in England, to be
the first and finest looking true sports sedan. This 1964
example was purchased by Ian in 1988 in a very neglected
condition. Restoration to it’s current, like new condition,
was accomplished by Ian over a 5 year period. Since 1993 this
car has been used as the Ayton’s primary local transportation
means and covers approximately 5000 miles each year. |
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